Poor D.C. United. US Open Cup success aside, it's been about as frustrating a season as a team could have. The first few months were filled with growing pains, trying to find a way to mold the side around new Argentinian signing Marcelo Gallardo. It began to pay off in early summer, with the team finally finding form and playing with the easy-on-the-eyes attacking style in such a marked contrast to some of the league's less attractive approaches. The end of the summer brought Louis Crayton in goal, and an unexpected string of defensive resolution from the usually charitable United defense. But they never really made a big dent in the MLS standings, and now their CONCACAF Champions League campaign is as good as over before it could even really take off.

To be fair, calling last night's D.C. squad a "makeshift lineup" would be generous. This was a team with arguably only two or three field players in their best positions (Moreno, Vide, and Doe, and the last of those three doesn't exactly strike fear in an opponent, even on his best day), and a kid most recently on a USL2 squad making his debut against one of Mexico's most storied clubs. No, Cruz Azul didn't send their best team, but they're still Cruz Azul and there was still enough quality to come into RFK and grab a 1-0 win.

All things considered, United acquitted themselves well, and only a truly bizarre goal stood between them and a hard-earned point. Ten minutes into the second half, a Cesar Villaluz blast was going well wide but managed to smack into the backside of Paraguayan Pablo Zeballos, change direction completely, and roll past Wells into the net. It gave the Mexicans a lead they didn't quite deserve, with United showing patches of attacking promise -- Thabiso Khumalo struck the post with a low drive and Doe had a headed goal called back for offsides -- and plenty of grit and resolve in the back.

While D.C. isn't mathematically eliminated from the inaugural competition, for all intents and purposes they can set this aside to focus fully on the MLS stretch run. After a shellacking against FC Dallas last weekend, United are on the outside of the playoff chase looking in. Sure, they've had a whole boatload of injuries, but this is a team with serious quality and no small payroll. The drop between last year's Supporters Shield and this year's struggles at the very least suggest some poor front office decisions. But the bottom line is that the playoff spot is there for the taking -- D.C. have four more MLS games, two of them at home, but three of them against the league's best three teams. Fortunately, those squads -- Houston, New England, and Columbus -- should have wrapped up playoff spots by then and may have little to play for. Yes, D.C. fans, this is the kind of situation we're forced to consider right now.